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Giselle Minoli

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I do agree with your take on this but it is not just the men. The whack job women make just as sick and disturbing news headlines such as Catherine Goins of Georgia, Carol Coronado of California, Julie Powers Schenecker of Florida, Saiqa Akhter of California, Lisa Cochran of Missouri to name just a few. The problem isn’t isolated to just men, it has infected humanity as a whole.

This is just what happens when your world view blows up in front of your face and you’re left empty, huskless, impotent. It’s what made the 1970s and 1930s such a hoot to live through. Fortunately we may be at the Symbionese Liberation Army stage of this. We’re at least at the Weather Underground stage.

Sigh, Brad WolF…there is no lumping…there are boatloads of good men…but they do not seem to be able to stem this tide of violence, do they? Nor do the good women. But, forgive me, I know there are violent women, but I have not yet read a report about one of these massive terrorist organizations being run by women. As I say, forgive me for that observation.

The good comes with the bad…that I doubt this man would have thought of beheading as his weapon of choice were it not for the publicized horror of it…that I don’t think we can blame aggression and violence on Islam…there was the KKK after all…that on the Internet one can now learn anything and spread messages about…anything…and I would not shut it down for anything…

Well like school shootings and any big news events…once it happens once the media outlets are quick to report on similar events. Creating News buzz so we or in this case Giselle Minoli posting online so we react and talk about it. The newspapers did the same, it’s just easier to report and spread with the internet and social networks.

Terrorist have learned how we connecting people will quickly share something and make it easier for their BS propaganda to spread.

So yes like Caturday we will have a Beheading report once a week, until the next trend comes along…..

He is a terrorist, recruiting for islam, they are here in the USA and you should not be so lax, this is what they do, and he didn’t do it because it has been publicized, he did it because he was taught to period. No more excuses for these jerks!

The man who realizes that he’s lost the intellectual argument and has run out of thoughts altogether, is the man that results to violence to prove that he’s right: That’s the history of the Islamists and the Roman Catholic Church. I thank God that I’m an intelligent Protestant who doesn’t have to resort to violence; cuz I’m RIGHT and WORDS are all I need.

We will likely see more of these demonic crimes in the future.After all,the media and internet do sow bad seeds in bad minds.You don’t hear about the guy bringing coffee and donuts to work everyday for everyone to enjoy….unless it’s been laced with LSD…ooops’ shouldn’t have said that.

Don Nesbitt that’s my question…where is the rage coming from and why does it “seem” good men and good women do not “seem” to be able to put the fire out? Is it just a louder voice? Is it fear? If all the good men and women armed themselves against his would they be equally “violent?” I think it is a dilemma for non violent people to wrap their heads around this stuff…and to figure out what to do. So many people say Peace is the only way…but if hatred is taught isn’t also the way of peace?

Catherine Benjamin no you don’t hear those stories…so…the downside of the Internet…the good comes with the bad…as with this post, in which there are those who think they can scare me off my own post…it’s a very loud voice designed to induce fear…not unlike those videos in the desert? It is a very loud voice.

In some paces it is difficult for women to do that Derrik Johnson. Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head for wanting yo be educated, certain cultures shoot women for going outside, there is a huge domestic violence and date rape problem…and none of these issues are feminist in nature…they are about our core humanity.

I am sorry for you and your family. I don’t know how one processes that experience. And I don’t know how the family in Oklahoma, or those in France or England and scores of other places process theirs. I wish speaking up were the answer..

Hi Michael Rutherford. Yes…of that kind…perhaps…but of this other kind? This globally charged kind? Some would say ’twas always thus…but…isn’t there a danger of talking oneself into believing that it’s always the same? And maybe that’s why it exists? Even in the world of pro football there’s a movement for a less rough sport…﻿

Ryan Mox if you don’t want to accurately read my words you are welcome not to comment. You are an example of the rage…because it is what you have brought to this post..snarky nastiness. Neither I nor anyone else here has been abusive you. It is your own tone here that is unacceptable.

Dana Blankenhorn I’m not sure what stage we are at with it. I read an article yesterday that documents how all such movements come to their natural end…but I wonder at what price, particularly when they keep being replaced by yet another and another…

I don’t know Jeremy Granger, I posted this from my iPad and it was added automatically. I deleted the post and it was added again. Certain hashtags are automatically added if you don’t included your own…

If incarceration, or state sanctioned murder worked, there would not be a continuation of problems. Violence makes violence. Violence isn’t just physical brutality.

I swear by LOVE. Love island maybe is what is needed. Each offender gets a team of folk, each offender learns nonviolent commnication, which is not just a technique, but a way of understanding oneself, and

I don’t care whether you agree or disagree with me Ryan Mox. You showed up here nasty, abusive, insulting and rude. If that’s how you chose to communicate that is fine but I am not responsible for that, you are. Again, you are welcome not to participate if you find this thread so beneath you. It is my post and if you are trying to threaten or silence me you won’t succeed.

Giselle Minoli , you made the sexist comment, own it. Perhaps we would rather say, “Muslims are the ones running terrorist organization and what’s wrong with them?” But that would be some kind of non pc wouldn’t it, and you would see the problem. And yet, it would be more specific to what actually happened. “A male, muslim man, beheaded someone.” But I don’t blame males, nor muslims. I’d prefer, “Some asshole.”

By they way, a Man stopped it from happening to a second woman. So there’s your good man doing something about this shit.

Wait for it… within 3 days Obama will again remind you that Islam is a peaceful religion (which is true for most Westerners), but totally understates the dangers of Jihadist. The Jihadists are more relivant as a danger that Americans becoming vigilantes.

Brad WolF it is a fact that the recent beheadings were performed by men. That is not sexist…it is fact. And in my view, yes, as a woman and as a person, the rage and violence of this is nauseating. And No, I do not get how any man could do that to any other man, or woman. No…I do not get it. And if you see that as sexist or feminist perhaps it is because you yourself cannot ask, or are not willing to ask what is going on here…

Hi, Brian Titus. It is astounding. The word itself is revolting. Don’t get me wrong, all of what we have been seeing is so deeply disturbing, but there is something about this particular act…I don’t know, perhaps as was suggested by the gentleman, Don Nesbitt, way up above…the severing of our heads from our hearts…the separation of the parts of ourselves that can find a way out of this “terror”…I can’t help but note the metaphors because they seem so obvious to me.﻿

Here’s another thought. If the ISIS stuff wasn’t so fresh in everyone’s mind, this wouldn’t have been called beheading. Probably just called it decapitation. Both words are ugly words. But the use of beheading generally would create stronger emotions. It’s very likely you have the media to thank for the choice of words.

Michael De Marco Not that it should matter, but he was a recent convert. I’m sure that it will be brought up at his trial that he was persecuted and felt that he had to retaliate under Islamic law, or some stupidity like that

Michael Rutherford that is so interesting and I think a wise observation. But I wonder if the drama of the videos didn’t add to that in some way…I mean what would the reaction have been had the incidents been reported merely in words without attendant videos, which were then taken down. Thus my comment about the Internet. Media or not, the Internet is its own thing and I wonder if they can be untangled in this day and age when anyone can be a filmmaker distributor and anyone a journalist.

Giselle Minoli You’re seriously blaming this on the internet? Get real! You can’t turn on the TV without EVER Y News channel covering whatever violent act occurs. Violence isn’t to be blamed on the media either. Ancient religious texts are some of the most violent texts available such as the bible and the Quran just to name two. The prophet Muhammad’ specifically calls for the beheading of infidels. Any Muslim could take the text to literally and go that route just as some people here in America take the bible too literally and do cruel violent things.

The internet isn’t to blame for Muslim violence. Guns aren’t to blame for violence. Vehicles aren’t to blame for drunk driving related deaths. Pencils aren’t to be blamed for grammatical errors. The individual is responsible for their own actions.

No Megan Hale I am not blaming it on the Internet I am raising the question that I seriously doubt this particular man would have committed this particular crime in this particular fashion without the influence of the net. That’s my “real” take and I understand you might not share it. Substitute Internet for any other visual media…that would work too…thus my comments about the power of pictures added to words.

There was so much talk about the videos. My guess is that not many people actually saw them. All of the reports that I saw showed one still picture. So, the majority of people’s impressions came from the words used and the still picture.

At this point, who knows if Nolen was influenced by that or not. I’m sure we’ll hear much more about it later.

In any case, the internet is just an efficient transport. If not for the internet, you’d just go back to TV, newspapers, radio, etc. and get the same message. Just a little slower and at a little less frequency.

generalizing to a gender using a new report about a murderer is probably not a good idea. I haven’t read the article, but the OP seems to indicate that there isn’t anything valuable to be gained from reading it. I think society is sick (not fundamentally, but currently with the possibility of health), not just the male parts.

Michael Rutherford about that one point I don’t share your view. While the actual videos were taken down quickly what remained were the two photos of two men clad in orange kneeling in the desert before a masked man with a knife. Those images were and still are absolutely everywhere on the Internet and in print media. It is almost as if the videos have become irrelevant. The mystery in the now almost subliminal, if you will, imagery left over is even more powerful than in the now vanished films. And that is what I suppose is what gnaws. There are powerful images of war that are always taken and printed around the world…but combine the intent, with the tragedy, with the technology, with the act, with the fear internationally, with whatever was going on with that fired individual in Oklahoma and the whole of it changes.

If, in fact, those videos were not dangerous and disturbing to watch why take them down at all? The answer to me is because they are in fact deeply disturbing.

I would say that while certain individuals may be capable of taking responsibility for their actions, the man now identified but not yet found who committed the first two actions blames his actions on the US. So it isn’t tidy at all. In fact, it’s a mess.﻿

Efing media . Be heading and decap . Harvest moon is now the blood moon . If watch the news on major networks know its fake and scripted like every other sitcom. It’s so fake this. Country is so fuct I wanna move for my kids sake, and sanity .it’s like half are the pop is strait brainwashed ehh

Michael De Marco yes they said he converted to Islam, but i think he was oppotuned to meet some of the sponsored terrorists disguising as muslims. I’m a Muslim and I’m strongly against beheadings because my faith doesn’t advocate criminality. So he should face justice.

Killian MacAislin Tell the Republicans that. They are basically adopting the Christian version of Sharia Law in America, with religion controlling politics and policies. Welcome to the Middle East, America-Style, Killian!

So tell me, when did the Republicans start to behead people, or chop off their hands, or advocate forced marriage of prepubescent girls executing homosexuals? Oh, they haven’t. But you will find plenty of Democrats who jump to the defense of people who do these things.

Giselle Minoli – I think that saying he wouldn’t have committed this act had it not been the internet is a false assertion. For that to be true, crimes such as this would have to not be represented elsewhere, this is simply not the case. Television, radio, print, and yes, internet/digital media all cover similar stories. If the internet were to have never existed the rest of the news media would have made sure to publish/publicize/present decapitations as news.

It’s the same type of assertion that was made more than a generation ago regarding television: “Television will turn our boys into violent criminals!” It ignores the fact that there were many violent criminals all through history, media need not be present.

Regarding your gender related question: It’s not an unexpected question given the lens much of online and television news loves to view men through, portraying the most barbaric light (not that decapitating someone isn’t barbaric). On its own, this story is one crazy man who was shot after decapitating a woman. When viewed alongside other news stories featuring men, you’d be right to wonder if there’s some sort of mental ailment epidemic among men that causes them to act like uncivilized animals killing and maiming everything they see, especially women.

The problem with that question is that it ignores the possibility of a polarizing narrative purposely being brought to the attention of the masses. If you want to get clicks, likes, ratings, etc, find a story about a man that does something gruesome so that the conversation of male barbarism can come up. Another way to get those same clicks, likes, ratings, etc? Find a story about a beautiful woman, scantily clad, so that the conversation of female objectification can be had. Stirring controversy without a clear path to a constructive discussion is precisely how the news media survives as it does today.

Another downside to the Internet is that I don’t believe anything reported to us, anymore. New York Times? I’m not saying that this incident didn’t happen, just as I wouldn’t say that 9-11 didn’t happen. But, I am saying that I, personally, believe that, like 9-11, it’s a false flag. What a coincidence that the man is a Muslim convert. Islam is the primary tool for American empire building and rule by fear. Watch for more coming to a theater near you.

By the way, here’s ISIS’ website. It appears a privatized “Intelligence-Black Op for Hire” organization headquartered right here in Washington D.C.

kyle mccrum I don’t believe in waisting rounds but I carry 3 extra clips. Just in case. I have been fired a number of times not for incompetence but for my inability to bite my own toungue or offering myopinion when it wasn’t asked for. The upside to this is that I never got a check I didn’t need & I was looking for a job when I found that one however I never felt the urge to be head anyone but I did tell a couple of former employers to give me some head. If I was ever beheaded it would be because of some of the aforementioned reason s

Morning, Brian Tomlinson. I’ve been watching a beautiful sunrise. Reading your thoughts reminded me of a long conversation I had decades ago with a man who had been a grunt in Vietnam Nam. I had always been sort of fascinated by that word. He was a physically big man…strong, powerful, more than a little imposing. He talked very openly about his long “battle” with PTSS…and he talked at length not only about his belief that our souls are not designed to handle, experience, process and move beyond the things soldiers are asked to do in war, nor are the rest of us capable of processing the imagery left over. I remember him getting very quiet and talking about his son, how he didn’t know which way to go with teaching him about life….does he tell him about the experiences he had had, or does he shield him from every bad thing? He was filled with remorse and agony.

Remembering that conversation reminded of another one I had had with a man who had been a marine. A man had jumped out a window in NY and the police were having a hard time keeping people behind the police barrier. They all wanted to see. And this man said that if those people straining to see had been through what he had been through he doubts they would want to see that body lying there. He was a profound advocate of censorship in some forms..and echoed the opinion of the man above I just described…that human beings are tremendously fragile but would like to believe they can handle anything.

You know me, Brian Tomlinson…when I post something I am truly bothered by it. I don’t believe that we are capable of processing endless information. I think these things go into the soul of our worlds, our cultures, our hearts, our communities, our families, and change us in ways we can’t even wrap our minds around. That is not a call for censorship or silence or curtailing of print, media, Internet, photography freedoms. But, as I watch the sun rise…I still ask the same question and still say that the world feels increasingly violent and to me.

Giselle Minoli – I can understand your viewpoint, I was just disagreeing with the assertion that this crime is somehow attributed to the internet, hence why I brought up other forms of news consumption.

I do agree with your over-arching feelings on the matter, the world does appear more violent than ever but I think that is mostly to do with the narratives given via the media.

This will sound silly, but if you ever want to be reminded about how wonderful humans can be, watch the documentary “Craigslist Joe” on Netflix if you haven’t already. While I know firsthand the cruelty that humans are capable of, I think it’s a disservice to not also recognize the immense kindness given by the vast majority of humans. The news gains ratings by flooding information channels with “bad news”, but that doesn’t mean that the 1% of events that happen in the world that they show are all there is. The other 99% of daily human interaction is peaceful and even beautiful.

It’s because I know you and respect you that I commented as I did and do now.

Brian Tomlinson I didn’t say the Internet created this…I just said there is a downside to what it can spread and how far and wide. And it wasn’t the media that spread it. Things go viral these days without any help at all from the media.

And here I am going to defend myself (not from you!)…my posts are in large part about the arts and the beauty and intelligence brought to

the world by extraordinary people.

But I also post about politics and issues that effect men and women around the world. Not every post can be about BOTH things.

For instance, when I write a post about dance or theatre or poetry or the ballet…I don’t include the dark side of what I hope isn’t a beheading string…

Have a good week Brian Tomlinson…seeing your name always makes me smile!﻿

Good grief everyone, I apologize for all of my typos. I am working off my iPad ’cause of ‘puter difficulties﻿.﻿

I don’t think it’s your fault Brian Tomlinson. People interpret things through their own prisms. There is an upside and a downside to virtually everything. Sports are fabulous…yet you can injure yourself seriously and perhaps forever adversely. Competition is a part of life, but how does one learn to be balanced within it? Starting a business is a great thing, but there is great risk as well.

I know so many parents who do not let their children watch television and do not let them play violent video games. Are they wrong to do so?

Years ago when the Guardian Angels first sprang up in NY, the members would take to movie lines to ask people whether they believed that violent Hollywood movies make people more violent. They got such diverse answers, from emphatic No(s), to insistent Yeses, to Some deranged people, but I’m not deranged! to I just like the entertainment factor, and on and on and on. The question I am asking is not new. It is asked and mulled over every single day: how and what are we affected by in our daily lives by all that is put in front of us. I get that there are those who believe this Oklahoma man would have done this exact same thing anyway. I do not agree with that.

And I have asked publicly before, because I only post publicly, whether there are certain things that affect men and women differently. Not only do I think that question is a fair question I think it is an essential question. It is not feminist to ask such questions…although if it is…then I’m proud to raise it.

The world as a whole is much less violent than in the past. The way news works today by running the worst stories as headlines and the fact that you have 24/7 coverage makes it seem worse. Men have been committing horrific crimes since we started walking upright. However this is a much safer world for women and children than say just 100 years ago.

Giselle Minoli Muslims take their faith very seriously. Ill give them that and because of that much more likely to take their religious texts out of context. Every religion has had followers who’ve taken ancient religious texts too far. All without the media or the internet.

You can’t blame the media or the internet. As people from the beginning of time we’ve relished in the misfortune of others and have lined up to watch violent acts. Criminals used to be executed in town squares with mothers bringing their children along to watch. Families lined up to watch warriors fight to the death in ancient Rome. That dear is us as a people not to be blamed on the internet or the media. ﻿

I do want to say that my post is about the particular act of violence itself and what feels to me to be a more violent world. I do not share the view that it is safer for women and children all over the world. I don’t think there would be a need for an anti-violence against women Act if that were so. I also want to say that I appreciate everyone’s comments, even those that are particularly attacking of me, because, interestingly, they illustrate the point in another way… Thank you all.﻿

Robert Grun thank you very much for answering me in an non-attacking way. I appreciate it. I know that there are female terrorists. It is equally mind-boggling to me. I also know that there are women who commit crimes…but…in an intelligent conversation I don’t believe that anyone can look me in the eye, face-to-face, and tell me that the majority of the crimes about which we are talking are committed by women.

I am glad that you survived 9/11. I am not asking you to go into the details, but from the way that you phrased that I take it that you were on site. I cannot even imagine that. I will never forget that day. I am just a couple of miles Northeast on the island. I have a dear friend, a man who, was also on site, running for his life as the buildings came down at his heels.

I have heard what you have heard about cells here, an imminent attack, etc., etc. etc. Honestly, I don’t know what to say about any and all of it…except to ask…yet again…where all this rage and violence is coming from. I think it is very pat to say it’s religion, it’s cultural, it’s political. It’s something, that’s for sure.

I can’t scroll up to see the comment of the gentleman who mentioned the violence within drug cartels..and nobody batting an eye. While I can understand why he wrote that I think people do bat their eyes at that. There is a lot of conversation about the violence within drug cartels…it is all about money.

I am a peaceful guy Giselle. I agree with you that it is mostly men that do the killing. I worked at the World Finl Ctr on 9/11. My building had a lot of stuff blown into it when we evacuated. I ended up outside of tower two. I was frozen watching the people jumping from the building when the second plane came in above us hitting the tower blowing myself and others off our feet. I have not been back to the city since the attack.

These kinds of things are why I’m atheist. I don’t understand why people still need a book to tell them that it’s wrong to kill people and to love other humans. Religion divides us all, and stops us from cooperation because of a freaking BOOK. I say, we get rid of organized religion and allow people to believe whatever they wish to believe on their own terms. After all, which of the many religions is correct? Everybody says that it’s theirs, and that’s where I get my opinion that religion (and, consequently, the belief in god) is just an opinion. Much like Giselle Minoli is a feminist, and I’m against feminism. Who’s right? She’ll say that she is, but I understand that neither of us is indeed correct. That’s because they’re both opinions and are therefore inherently incorrect. Once we realize this, we’ll enjoy the fact that we have different beliefs, because it means that this world still has some sort of individuality within and that we have not all become mindless drones.﻿

I also believe that there should be an emphasis on being a good person for the sake of being a good person, and not because you fear being sent to hell (or any of its counterparts). When that happens, people will do good things of their own volition, and not because they are told to do so. Only then, can we create weapons of mass destruction not to be used against humans but to protect us from monolithic disasters like meteors or some other unforeseen dangers.

Robert Grun that’s fine with me bro, whatever floats your boat. I’m simply stating that I detest religion’s emphasis on everybody but you being incorrect. Christians say that Muslims are incorrect, and vice versa, and this severely hinders cooperation between these two.

Robert Grun That’s a great outlook man, if only there were more people like you. I mean, that’s the thing that turned me off to religion. My family and I were Jehovah’s Witnesses (not of my own choice, I was forced), and I began to notice it. They always said “love your fellow brethren” and then begin to state how the “people of the world” (narcissistic, right?) were not good acquaintances to have. I was never allowed to have friends who weren’t JWs, because they were inherently evil somehow, even if the majority of the people I knew from the “world” were better people than the JWs I knew. Know what I’m getting at?

Robert Grun did you ever think to yourself that you deserved to be blown up for allowing for a drug war to cause the attacks? Who funded the 911 attacks? The ignorant women of planet earth who allowed Satanism (jews are satanists) to wage a drug war that funded the 911 attacks. My best suggestion is to kill yourself because those nazi Jews that planned and executed the 911 attacks to launder their Clinton/Bush/Vatican/mossad drug money missed their mark.

Chaz K that is a really good question and I would like to give you a tidy answer, but I think I will fail at that. I have been on the planet for more than a few decades and my only answer is that this all feels different to me. Escalated. Perhaps because it is not contained within one state, within one government, within one tidy country? Maybe. But that feels like an escalation itself. For what it’s worth I’ve avoided the militant Islam part because it feels like an excuse…more than an answer. So, Yes, maybe it is an intellectual/philosophical question? From whence arises the rage? It has always seemed to me that people are taught to be violent and rageful – either directly or through life experiences. I want to have an answer for you, but I don’t. I do feel that violence begets violence, and I do feel that the continued expression of it can be like a virus…using the changing numbers with regard to the Ebola outbreak as an example of how out of control things feel.

Gabriel Rivera woah, dude. He didn’t deserve to die by any means, any more than you and I do. After all, I’m getting back to the whole “who’s opinion is correct?” thing. You believe that it was a conspiracy of sorts, while I believe that it was Muslim extremists. After all, if you’re going to believe that the gov’t did it, why not topple them? The reason is that you aren’t sure yourself, and that’s a good thing. Just like I am not sure that it was Muslims, because those who know the whole truth are unfortunately dead. Or, maybe not? We’ll never truly know.

Sergio Garduno I’m saying you are the kind of stupid that allows the satanic Jews, christians and Muslims to keep getting away with 3,000 years of hate crimes better known as the drug war. Kill yourself. First behead a bunch of women for being Satanist tarts like yourself, then behead yourself nigger.

Gabriel Rivera In fact, I am unsatisfied with this whole “no boots on the ground” thing. If we’re going to war (or a “conflict” as they like to call it), I say we need an Operation Desert Storm, not this.

Sergio Garduno Tried it. Failed. We can’t give people their freedom. They have to take it. We can help — the French helped us. But if we try to go in with ground troops we’re going to get the same fail Bush got. If you’re supporting the death of 4,000 Americans in a conflict we can’t win, I say no.

I live in Sapulpa, Ok. My home was broken into while I was taking a bath and my husband was out of town. My two dogs chased him away, but he went to my neighbors house. The police got him. However, violence is everywhere and we kind of put it out of our minds until it happens to you or someone close to you. The beheading in Oklahoma, a place where time slows down, is overwhelming, especially in the aftermath of my ordeal. I would love to go live on a deserted island.

Sergio Garduno I appreciated your comment. To be honest, I am not sure what it means to be labeled an “atheist” any more than what it means to be labeled a “feminist.” I have lived, perhaps, what outsiders would call a feminist life – because I have had to. I had to leave home very early to work and take care of myself and in so doing I became acutely aware of the issues involved in this movement called “feminism.” It is a word that scares a lot of people, but perhaps that is because they haven’t either lived closely enough to the issues to fully understand them or because they don’t want to. Either way, if I am called one because I think little girls should be educated in Pakistan, then fine, I am happy to be one. If I am called one because I post about the Anti-Violence Against Women Act, then fine, I am proud to be called one.

But…I have read all of your comments and while I understand (I think) why you call yourself an atheist, there is what would nowadays be called a clearly spiritual focus there.

I would ask you: is that what needs to be intact in order to not pursue a violent life? As opposed to a specific religious tie that is?

Giselle Minoli Well, I’m nor against women getting education or equal pay. I’m against both genders being equal, because we can never pretend that we are equal. As I have stated before, men and women have skills that the other lack, and that helps them compliment the other. I believe that we must focus on being good people because we want to, and not because we believe that being a bad person will earn us eternal damnation. I hold far more respect for a non-believer who acts like a good person than a believer. Why? The reason is that they do so of their own accord, and have no need for instructions on how to be a decent person, because they use common sense. Kind of like, if you make someone rely on instructions to do everything, they suddenly become useless when there are no instructions. There’s also the effect where they become pedants, instead of thinking for themselves.

Giselle Minoli once we learn to love for the sake of loving and do good for the sake of doing good, we will do so automatically, and we will learn to love each other. There’s a quote that Orson Scott Card uses in “Ender’s Game”: ” In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.”

Chaz K but here’s the thing. Wouldn’t it be better if you could stop yourself from acting on your inherent violent tendencies because you want to? If you needn’t rely on a scripture or command to act like a decent person?

Chaz K because we’ve relied on religion. See, religion brings about this self-righteousness in humans. We begin to believe that our opinions are fact, and proceed to kill the “heathens”, the Crusades, Muslim Extremists, etc. Once we understand that our beliefs are inherently incorrect, we become humble and respect one another a lot more.

You know Chaz K while I am aware that there are certain highly educated people that have been at the root of many war evils, but aside from those people, I often think that if everyone had a constructive job, a profession, that there would be far less violence in the world. While I understand there might be a tendency to consider opinion naive (not you, perhaps) my reasoning comes from a life spent creating. When one does that…it’s hard to destroy things…

Chaz K after all, I understand that I am a very imperfect person, but I strive to become a better person however I can, because I want to. I don’t fear hell or look forward to heaven, I look forward to being a great man and being loved as well as loving others. Sure, it’s a bit anti-climatic, but it’s more realistic. Now, if there is by any chance a heaven (I accept all possibilities, because I know that humans aren’t omniscient), then I’d like to get there for being a self-made decent person. However, I don’t go to heaven not because I was necessarily evil but because I didn’t believe in god? There is something very wrong with that. After all, I don’t believe in Zeus, simply because of Greek mythology. I’d believe in him if I saw him, but nobody has done it ever since humans developed reliable ways to record history (how convenient).

Sergio Garduno what you are describing to me is the essence of fear: the Great Unknown. What’s going to happen. What will become of us? What will we lose? What will we gain? Will I be one of the chosen? Or will I be cast into Hell? Will I be powerful? Or will I walk with the cockroaches?

I’m with you: work hard – work hard to be a good and conscious person, work hard to have a productive and constructive life. Work hard to create, not to destroy. Work hard to conserve and preserve. Work hard to evolve, not devolve.

This violence we discuss is the antithesis of productive and constructive, IMO.

Giselle Minoli I actually agree with you, in that, at least. Chaz K, I have no need to find an answer. I don’t need to have a purpose other than to live my life the way I deem fit, which is to be a decent person and contribute to humanity somehow. I like being ignorant of so many things. After all, if humans were omniscient, life would be pretty boring without all these new and exciting discoveries. I look forward to what we’ll discover about ourselves and our universe during my lifetime, new worlds, maybe even new forms of life, out there in the great unknown.

Robert Grun No one had heard of ISIS or ISIL whichever it is 6 months ago.It was funded by the US don’t ya know.How many fucking boogiemen do the powers that be have to create before people like you wake up to the fact that its just a reason to start a War,its been going on for around a decade,remember…Weapons of Mass Destruction ? Well they found ZERO.America is on a Middle east tour of War….WAR MAKES LOTS OF MONEY FOR THE ELITE….Obama is just a PUPPET for the ELITE BANKSTERS.

Chaz K I have read the Quran, the Bible, Joseph Smith’s story, and quite a few others. I was raised as a Presbyterian but once I got older I was curious about other religions. You might say I’ve come full circle in a way. At this point I choose to have faith in Jesus but in a non-denominational manner. What I’ve found in my research is human nature almost always takes over and distorts what ancient religious texts actually mean. I don’t need nor do I want a middle man between me and God. In my opinion Mohammad is just another example of man distorting and taking advantage of people’s faith for self-serving reasons.

Dorain d Really? When did that begin? I don’t recall any American religion or any member of the Republican party coming out with mandated beatings of rape victims, forced child marriages to adult males, advocated bestiality, etc. So please, enlighten the rest of us with your “proof.”

You should always be aware of your surroundings and the people in it. Growing up in a violent environment has taught those who have lived in the signals to know when something is going to happen.some say poor me for growing up that way.I say poor you for being so naive to think it won’t happen to you be aware and you have a better chance of survival.

stewart watling You’re completely wrong about no one knowing who they are. ISIS, ISIL, IS, or any of the many many other names they’ve used up until now have been known to exist for a while. The government has probably known of them much much longer. I first heard of them through Al Jazeera news almost a year ago. If you truly want to know what’s going on in this country and around the world then you can not depend on just one single news outlet. I myself keep up-to-date with many news outlets both here and abroad. I can assure you you’d be surprised by how much the differing news outlets contradict one another.

Megan Hale You only addressed one aspect of my comment.So what if IS has been around for 50 years,why now is it such a threat,bit coincidental,plays in perfectly to the Elites Agenda.Who believes all this crap,i mean ok they defeat IS….whos next ? What about Fucking GAZA….,ISRAEL are committing Genocide yet IS is the BIG threat.ISRAEL is the BIG threat,always has been.Why no Action by Uncle Sam over there ??? Geez how coincidental…the US gives ISRAEL 3.1 bollion a year in Military funding,aiding and abetting ( sic ) Genocide.

Bryon Letterman tell that to the three min but headed in Syria by Isis tell that to the woman who was beheaded Thursday in Moore Oklahoma tell that to her family I should say tell that to the family of the British soldier beheaded in London this last year tell that to the worker who was flattened in Oklahoma City last Thursday by the Muslim from Somalia. There are no extremist Muslims? That’s like saying there no white extremists right wingers! You know the ones that used to go around you know dunce cap and a white bed sheet???

I had made a similar comment much earlier in this thread Herb Wells about the KKK. There are scores of other “extremists” groups and it is why I chose not to mention religions, sects, cultures, races, but rather to focus the issue on violence. Now I am wondering about the relationship between “extremist” and violence… I understand (I think) your point, yet it isn’t all driven by religious beliefs (I’m not saying you are claiming that). At the moment I’m thinking of all of these school, movie theatre shootings in the States (Columbine High, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook…), which were not inspired by religious beliefs, but by some other kind of rage.

The whence comes such rage issue interests me…because I don’t think that just because it has always been thus, or just because it’s been around for thousands of years that we should accept that, as in Ho Hum, let’s just accept it (and I’m not saying this is your position either, I’m just thinking out loud). We would never, for instance, just accept the Ebola Virus, or Polio, or SARs. We do try to find cures for cancers. When it comes to violence and War, however, we seem inclined to say that it is human nature.

Giselle Minoli I think the point I was trying to make, was that political correctness is driving this country so hard, but we are scared to call extremists what they are that is if they are Muslim we don’t call what it is. We call it foolishness, Selena, workplace violence. But if a Christian, god forbid that ever would happen or a white man walks into a place and opens fire, or start killing people in the name of God, we will call that terrorism. In Wisconsin when a right-wing extremist walked into a Sikh temple and started shooting at people and telling them. It’s wrong on both ends and I stand here and say this is a white conservative Christian male. But our government has got so scared to stand up and say whoa wait a minute what just happened in Moore Oklahoma what almost happened in Oklahoma City what happened in Syria what happened in London England its the same thing. We cannot continue to try and have it both ways

I hear you Herb Wells. I feel that as a woman, certain as a woman blogger on G+…if I come out and say what’s on my mind…Jeez…if I just come out and ask a question…as I did on this post, the violently verbal attack machinery is set in motion.

I don’t know if you read the NY Times, but a couple of days ago there was an interesting Op-Ed piece written by a Jewish Israeli woman who reported on how difficult it is for Israeli Jews to express any empathy with Palestinian women and children who are losing their lives. She named a famous Israeli actress who did not appear at a performance she was to have given because extremists had threatened her life.

The silencing thing. There are many kinds of violence. Physical violence is one, of course, but there is verbal violence, and silencing people is also a kind of violence, because it induces fear.

I would agree with your assessment that we are conflicted. But the issues are seriously complex. It isn’t so easy to figure out what the “right thing to do” is anymore. I’m not so sure it ever was. But the argument, for instance, during WWII is that we knew who the enemy was, where they lived and what they were doing. Now, the argument is that the “enemy” no longer lives in one place, is not identifiable and is, essentially, a shape-shifter.

It still begs the question: from whence comes all the rage??? And, for what it’s worth, a very large part of me has come to believe that for some this is their “job,” as my job is writing and my husband’s is being a surgeon. But I digress…